Textbook. No official text, but various articles available
online will be linked to from the course homepage.

Description. Math 227 is a topics course in topology, broadly
defined. The topic changes from quarter to quarter. Three of the
simplest types of infinite groups are free groups, surface groups and
free abelian groups. This course focuses on the (outer) automorphism
groups of these groups which can be investigated through a geometric
study of the automorphism groups of finite graphs, closed orientable
surfaces and n-dimensional tori. The approach will be to survey major
results and to highlight some of the key underlying techniques, such
as actions on R-trees and the construct of spaces such as outer space
and the curve complex.

Grading. Your grade will primarily determined by effort (which
includes attendance and participation). Assignments given and
collected will be commented on, but the only aspect which effects your
grade is whether you did the assignment and how much effort you put
into it. The purpose here is to have the grading recede into the
background so that you can concentrate on learning the material and
enjoying the mathematics.

ADA. Students with disabilities can get assistance from the
Disabled Students Program Office (893-2668). I'm happy to work with
them and with you.

Copyright Information. Please note that all written and web
materials for this course have an implied copyright. In particular,
you can xerox (or download) for your own use, but you may not
reproduce them for others.